The present invention relates to a cleaning system for hydro-massage whirlpool baths of the type having a tub structure with a water circuit and an air circuit and one or more nozzles that direct a flow of pressurized water and air into the interior of the tub. In these types of whirlpool baths, a suction opening in the tub removes bath water from the interior of the tub and provides the water to a water pump that pressurizes the water and returns the pressurized water through the water pipe circuit to the nozzles that open into the interior of the tub. The air circuit is provided to mix air with the water to provide water/air jets from each nozzle.
The "water circuit" is defined by the pump and various pipes that convey water from the suction opening in the bath tub in such a way that the water is pressurized before it is conducted back to the nozzles in the wall of the bath tub. In a similar manner, the "air circuit" is defined by the pipes used to convey air from an adjustable air vent to the nozzles, where the air is mixed into the water jet.
The inner walls of the pipes in both the water circuit and the air circuit are liable to the accumulation of fatty deposits and calcium deposits. The air circuit is also subject to undesired deposits because it also becomes filled with water when the bath tub is filled with water and the pump is not turned-on. The growth of bacteria in connection with these deposits is a particular problem when there are many different users, such as in hotels and institutions.
The previous solution to the undesired deposit problem has been for the user to fill the bath tub to its operating level with hot water, pour in a cleaning agent, and then run the system so that the water and cleaning agent were conducted through the various pipes. If stronger cleaning agents or chemicals were used, the user had to thereafter empty the tub, refill the tub, and then run the system once more to rinse away the cleaning agent and/or chemical residues.
These prior cleaning or cleaning/rinsing procedures had the following disadvantages:
1) The complete tub must be filled with water each time the system is to be run to clean/rinse it. The filling of the tub is reflected in the water and power consumption.
2) The cleaning process takes a long time from start to finish and is not suitable for frequent cleaning, e.g., as is desirable in cases of more public uses, such as in hotels or institutions.
3) An unnecessarily large amount of cleaning agent has to be used in order to reach an adequate cleaning solution concentration.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,563,781 to James discloses a cleaning system in which a flow circuit is established during a cleaning mode in which water is pumped through the nozzles from the water circuit to the air circuit for return through a detergent tank into the system pump. The James system, by forcing water through the nozzles, limits the velocity of the flow of the cleaning agent and water through the water circuit and the air circuit.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,979,245 to Gandini discloses a cleaning system that forms a closed circuit which is used during the cleaning mode. The Gandini system uses a water circuit having, to some extent, parallel pipes where pressure differences may arise. The Gandini system thus does not redirect the system to communicate the water circuit with the air circuit in a continuous closed loop. The water flow is not directed through the air circuit directly, but only in parallel and indirectly, if at all, as a consequence of the amount of water which might possibly find a route through the nozzles. The Gandini system is a rather inexpedient way of ensuring that the air circuit is cleaned, since most hydromassage systems will not have substantial water/air passages between the air circuit and the water circuit at the nozzles.
The problem as to the lack of water/air communication between the water and air circuits in the Gandini system is further exacerbated if the uppermost pipe is used for the air circuit, since gravity will tend to keep the water and any cleaning agent in the lower water circuit and out of the uppermost air circuit.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,383,289 to Cleo D. Mathis and J. C. Henry redirects the air circuit and the water circuit so that they are continuous, but does not form a closed circuit that also includes the pump. The Mathis/Henry system is based on rinsing the pipes with water from the user-adjusted hot/cold water mixing unit connected to the air and water circuits system (optionally with added cleaning agent) so that the water constantly flows through the connected water and air circuits and out through the suction opening into the tub. During the cleaning mode of operation in the Mathis/Henry system, the pump is not used to pressurize the water or to increase its flow rate through the pipes. Since the water is not pressurized or the flow rate accelerated, the cleaning is much less efficient.
Further examples of the state of the art are taught in U.S. Pat. No. 4,383,341 to Altman, U.S. Pat. No. 4,868,934 to Altman, U.S. Pat. No. 4,514,868 to Visinand, U.S. Pat. No. 5,012,535 to Klotzbach, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,029,594 to Pierce, Jr.
Thus, there continues to exist a need for a better way to address the bacteria/infection problem described above so that the otherwise inaccessible surfaces are cleaned in a simple and effective manner and to also prevent the growth of bacteria.